Oops, this brings up another rule, the 3 rd one we mentioned a moment ago. This one is called “Special Regulations”.
The Special Regs prohibit discharges from Coin Operated Laundries to septic systems.
Scenarios Multi-Family Residences
Housing Developments
Sometimes, the volume of waste requires the construction of a treatment plant. Usually, the treated wastewater is discharged to a nearby stream authorized by a different type of permit other than UIC. But What happens if another permit is not an option? What if the developer has enough land to install a leach-field?
Oh, we’re back to “magic number 20”.
So, if your standards call for 3 to a household or 4 to a household, we will look at the number of houses times the number of people per home that your permit authorizes and see if that adds up to 20. If yes, a UIC permit is required.
How about an apartment complex that houses 20 or more people?
Or a trailer park with 20 residents?
Remember the Special Reg? That means we must consider the… laundry. Some apartments have washer/dryer hookups in the units. Others & also some trailer parks offer the coin-operated laundry option. We can’t allow those to discharge to a septic system.
SCENARIOS Restaurants
Restaurant Scenario # 1 The Sanitarian receives a call about a new Pizza restaurant to be built out near the highway and there’s no public sewer out there. The restaurant is branded by a national chain, will have carry- out, drive-thru, and inside seating for 18. The facility will have public restrooms and because it will be open 7 days a week, there’ll be 24 part -time and 4 full-time employees.
This is a facility we permit based on the number of people served by the system. We would also be concerned, just like you, about grease control. You, of course, would decide on the requirements for a grease trap. We would call for a grease trap inspection & clean-out schedule and we would require sampling of the wastewater for Oils & Grease.
Over time, if the operator demonstrated the ability to keep grease out of the wastewater, sampling requirements might be reduced. Is that likely? Well maybe not for this scenario but smaller operations have been successful controlling grease. Some restaurant managers insist on wiping down pans and other implements and disposing of the waste in the trash bin.
Restaurant scenario # 2 This time a country store owner wants to start selling Pizza. You determine public restrooms are not required because this is a carry-out operation only. The hours are limited and there are only 2 employees. No other businesses and no homes are served by the septic system. But you are concerned about grease getting into the septic system, so you require a grease trap.
This is not a facility we would permit, provided the operator controls grease. This is based on the limited number of people served by the septic system. Instead, we would ask the operator to prepare a Groundwater Protection Plan that includes a grease trap inspection schedule and emptying protocol. We would ask that the septic tank be pumped out every five years.
SCENARIOS Kennels
Kennel Scenario #1
Large kennels like the type found at Humane Societies often get lots of visitors. The Humane Society works very hard to find kind, loving homes for dogs and cats and sometimes this leads to advertised adoption events that draw big crowds. There can still be a lot people found at the shelters, even when special promotions are not taking place. Not only are there actual employees, but plenty of people volunteer their time to help take care of the animals. The first question the UIC staff would ask about a site like this is will the system serve 20 or more people in a day? If the answer is yes, a UIC permit is required.
Kennel Scenario #2 This kennel is smaller. It might be on a farm or other private land where an animal enthusiast makes a little extra cash by operating a kennel.
At a site like this, the animals might be kept in a barn during cold weather. The operator’s office may be in the home. A UIC permit would not be required. There’s less than 20 people served by the system in a day, and the only waste is domestic.
Kennel Scenario # 3 Let’s say at this kennel, there are less than 20 people involved, but the owner decides to plumb the kennel to the septic system.
What about that concern we expressed earlier about Alternate Waste? Though we would not require a permit at this site, we would not want dog waste going to the septic system. Most commercial dog food is largely made up of plants. Before dogs were domesticated, they primarily lived off wild game or meat, and their diets contained little plant food.
Meat is expensive, so today’s dog food contains plants as “fillers”. The dog gets full, but… plant -based food is not digested by a dog the same way its digested by humans. This means fibrous materials pass through the dog’s system and ends up as waste. Septic systems are not efficient treatment systems for dog waste.
What to do?
Oh, yeah! We go by your permit! Your install permit is for human waste only . So we go back to basics and don’t allow the alternate waste, that is, the dog waste to go into the septic system.
Remember Kennel Scenario # 1? We have the same concerns with the non-human waste there too. So how do we keep dog waste out of the septic system? Its simple, really.
Just ask them to pick up the waste!
Are there any other concerns for kennels? Well, how about dogs that shed? All that hair could clog up the drains.
Actually there’s a solution for dog shedding. Install fine mesh filter screens in the drains and clean the screens regularly
A word about pesticides such as flea killers... We would ask all kennels to agree to use products that do not contain harmful constituents. There are plenty of shampoos, sprays, and other products on the market today that aren’t harmful.
The UIC requirements for a permit at a kennel are: 1. Protect the area of the septic system – no parking over the system. 2. Examine the area of the system every month to look for signs of failure or pending failure. 3. Yearly, measure the sludge buildup in the septic tank and empty the tank when the sludge fills 1/3 of the tank, or every five years whichever comes sooner. 4. Make sure to keep the drain filter screens cleaned. 5. Pick up dog waste and put it in the trash. 6. Use shampoos and other products that do not contain harsh chemicals.
SCENARIOS Churches
There’s no question that some churches with on -site septic systems are going to need a UIC permit, based on the number of people that attend services. But what about churches with smaller congregations? We don’t want to be iffy, but in this situation a permit may not be needed if: the membership exceeds the attendance records and there really are less than 20 people a day served by the system. On the other hand, regardless of membership and attendance, if the church holds or allows large gatherings that would end up being served by the septic system, then a permit would be appropriate.
Look at this lovely chapel. Can you picture a quaint outdoor wedding on the lawn followed by a reception in the shade? But weddings and receptions out in the country can require a long drive. Some drives are longer than others, but we can picture folks needing a restroom break sometime during the course of this event. So, we’re back to whether the septic system serves 20 or more people in a day.
The permit requirements for facilities that accommodates large crowds are: Monthly, examine the area of the septic tank & leach-field to look for signs of failure or pending failure. Annually, measure the sludge buildup in the tank. Empty when 1/3 full of sludge or every 5 years, whichever come sooner. Always, protect the septic area from damage – prevent parking over the system.
Ok, so our
We’ve mentioned Groundwater Protection Plans several times today. Let’s talk about them in more detail now. • To satisfy the GPP Rule, a facility operator would need to identify the risk posed to groundwater. We identified several of those today. • There are chemicals found in some products used onboard RVs. • There are pesticides at kennels and there are the specific issues related to laundries; surfactants getting into groundwater as a concern.
Now comes the tough part: The operator has to explain how groundwater will be protected from the risk he just identified.
We try to help operators by giving suggestions such as the examples provided in the discussion today: • Pick up dog waste. • Maintain your grease trap. • Use environmentally friendly products. But, its up to the operator to decide on a plan to protect groundwater.
Next, provide the procedure for adding new equipment or operations. Most often, folks say they’re not going to add any new equipment and they ask what new operations are you talking about? So, the simplest answer is to just ask them to write this down: I will contact my Sanitarian and the DEP to get approval for any new equipment or operations.
Though we work together to get the facility properly permitted, no matter how proud we are of our work… the operator still has to summarize all activities carried out under other regulatory programs that have relevance to groundwater protection.
The GPP requires the operator to describe all available groundwater quality information for the site. Most people say they don’t have any information like this. But what if there’s a well on the property? That information should be listed.
There’s more… The operator has to make a statement in the GPP that no waste will be used for de-icer or fill. Huh? Yeah, we know…we just ask them to make the statement.
Almost finished… In the GPP, the operator has to include training provisions for employees. The training would explain how to protect groundwater while carrying out their work.
Finally, the last element of the GPP! Quarterly inspections are required. The operator examines all the aspects of his plan, equipment, and procedures that are designed to protect groundwater – and – makes and keeps a record of each inspection.
That’s a lot! We’ve talked about permits and GPPs today…but only as they relate to on-site sewage disposal systems.
We realize Sanitarians are all-around Protectors of Groundwater So we want to tell you more about the UIC program so you have as much information as possible about what’s going on in your counties.
Oh, but first we found a couple more scenarios.
SCENARIOS Roadside Monument
The county commission wants to provide restroom facilities at a roadside monument/rest stop off the beaten path for tourism purposes. They have no idea the amount of people that will utilize this facility. Does DEP get involved? Yes, we would want to be involved. The idea of a permit is doubtful, but we could ask the commission for a Groundwater Protection Plan wherein they state they’ll empty the septic tank on a frequency you and we agree is reasonable.
SCENARIOS Dental Offices
Metals in wastewater are pretty serious business. There aren’t many dental offices on septic systems, but its common that the wastewater testing shows metals are a problem. Usually, the dentist installs a small tank to capture the wastewater from patients’ rinsing and then has the wastewater transported to a sewage plant for treatment. Fillings are made of amalgam. Dental amalgam is a mixture of metals, consisting of liquid (elemental) mercury and a powdered alloy composed of silver, tin, and copper.
SCENARIOS Car Washes
Remember the Special Regs that prevent discharges from coin-operated laundries to septic systems? That reg also disallows can washes from sending their wastewater to the systems.
We promised to give you more info about UIC permits in your counties.
LET’S LOOK AT THE NUMBERS UIC Sites by County
UIC permits Looks like they’re in every county.
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